Brandon Baker, age 4, of the Masonic Home for Children, enjoys the 119th Mocksville Masonic Picnic, August 1999. Photo: Robin Ferguson

Mocksville Masonic Picnics

Held since 1878 as a fund-raiser for the
Masonic-sponsored Oxford Orphanage-now the Masonic Home for
Children at Oxford--the Davie County Masonic Picnic takes place the
second Thursday in August each year. From the first picnic till
this day, children from the orphanage have put on a program of
music, recitations, and skits at the event. An invited speaker has
addressed each gathering since 1879; the list of names includes
North Carolina governors, congressmen, judges, ministers, orators,
and writers. Band music has enlivened the festivities since the
early years. A sumptuous buffet has always been the central feature
of the picnic.

Jointly sponsored by the Masonic Order Corinthian
Lodge Number 17 and the Davie Education Union, this picnic is held
annually on the Saturday after the second Thursday in August. The
Davie Education Union began the event in 1894 to raise money for a
school for African-American children. A school was built in
Mocksville in 1888, and the picnic proceeds continued to support
educational scholarships and facilities and, later on, the Oxford
Orphanage as well. Like the Masonic Picnic, the Masonic-DEU event
brings together friends, family members, former schoolmates, and
former county residents in a celebration of their common cultural
heritage. The picnics also are a legacy to the generations of
children who have benefited from the support for the orphanage,
improvements in education, and advanced learning opportunities made
available.

The Local Legacies project provides a "snapshot" of American Culture as it was expressed in spring of 2000. Consequently, it is not being updated with new or revised information with the exception of "Related Website" links.